Bewitched
by After Six
Summary: Set in the Silver Millennium; what could have really happened between Beryl, Endymion, and Serenity and what caused the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. Some villains are not born evil and only have the best intentions.


**Bewitched**

She almost had everything she had ever dreamed of.

Beryl was certain of this, when she watched the object of her heart's desire—the royal heir to the Earth kingdom—standing beside his horse, smiling as he talked, offering a treat to his steed. Such a handsome young man with a kind heart. A man who would one day become king.

And her future husband.

As a princess of a neighboring kingdom, Beryl's marriage to Endymion had been arranged not long after their birth. She had been promised to him and him to her years ago, and she had dreamed of marrying him and becoming a queen since as soon as she could comprehend what it all meant.

They had grown up together and become the best of friends—their parents' attempt to bring them closer together—although careful not to cross the line until they were suitable of age. After all, some decorum needed to be maintained, and no matter how soon they had been tied to each other, they still had some maturing to do.

But Beryl _had_ fallen in love with Endymion throughout the years. She liked to think it wasn't just his status or their premature engagement that had made her fall for him. Perhaps, even if he was just a peasant, had she come to know him and his kindness as well as she did, she would still—or would she?

Come to think of it, she wasn't sure. But it was irrelevant, wasn't it?

He was kind and loving towards her, too. She didn't know whether he was in love with her—for the prince was always kind to everyone—but sometimes she would see glimpses of that deeper fondness that could mean something more. It gave her hope, because even though the marriage was arranged and guaranteed, she still wanted him to voluntarily give her his heart.

The wedding was six months away, and they had begun talking about the preparations tentatively.

Today seemed like a good day to talk about flowers.

"Good afternoon, Endymion," she greeted him as she entered the stable.

Endymion looked up and smiled at the sight of her. His reaction made her heart leap with joy.

"Beryl. Did you need me for something?"

"Do I have to have a specific purpose to see my fiancé?" she asked coyly. She loved using that word as much as she could—fiancé.

His smile widened into a grin. "Of course not. It is good to see you," he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. Even now, this close to the ceremony, he was still holding her at arm's length. Beryl figured he was just being a gentleman, but sometimes she wished he would be more… forward.

"Although, now that I have you here, I did have something to talk about regarding the wedding. What do you think about using purple tulips for the flowers?" she asked, running her hand along his horse's back. "Purple is a regal color."

When she heard no answer, she looked up at him. Endymion's gaze was faraway, his expression pensive.

"Endymion?" she asked. "What is it? You seem troubled by the idea. I know it's not traditional, but—"

"It's not that," he assured her quickly. "The flowers are fine. It's just… I wonder sometimes."

"About?"

"This marriage."

Beryl quieted, her face turning a shade paler. "Are you… Are you having second thoughts?"

"No, no," he shook his head quickly, but there was a flash of guilt in his eyes. "Are you?"

"No… of course not," she said evenly. What she really wanted to say was that she'd been looking forward to marrying him since she was little, but something held her back from confessing it.

"Are you sure? I just… I know neither of us had any choice in the matter about this. And it's a union that will tie us to each other forever. It seems unfair, somehow."

"Endymion, that's just how the lives of royals are. We have to put our kingdoms first, and that means alliances, and…" she trailed off, recognizing from his expression that she was going down the wrong path. "But that… That doesn't mean I don't care about you. Because I do. Even though this isn't my choice, I _do_ want to marry you."

"Really?" He looked hopeful, and Beryl took his hand.

"Truly. I won't regret it."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I would hate to think that I have robbed you the chance from finding your true love. Your soul mate."

"And who's to say that wouldn't turn out to be you?" she asked gently.

He smiled, but it was rueful rather than joyful. "We should be so lucky."

"You don't believe I could be yours?" She tried to keep the hurt from her voice, but failed.

"No, I'm… I'm doing this all wrong," he looked frustrated with himself and sighed. "I'm sorry, Beryl, I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just sometimes I wonder… I wished our parents had let us found each other on our own."

"That would certainly have been more romantic," she conceded. "But we should try to make the best out of what life has given us. I am sure we will be happy together and will love each other very much."

He neither agreed nor disagreed; just squeezed her hand comfortingly.

Beryl felt the first hints of worry, but she pushed the doubts aside.

* * *

There was something that night that woke her.

Beryl didn't know what it was, but suddenly she was pulled from her slumber and could not go back to sleep. Anxiety filled her, enough to push her toward getting dressed and deciding on a quick stroll into the garden. With the wedding being so close now, she was living in Endymion's palace, and she went to the part of the garden filled with roses—his personal garden. The sight of them always comforted her.

When she was about to enter the section, she looked up and saw the prince's familiar back.

A smile crept upon her lips. Was this why she had felt the pull to come here? Was he, too, unable to sleep, wishing for her company, silently calling for her through the night?

Her heart lifting, Beryl quickened her pace, but then stopped short when she heard voices. A feminine laugh.

The prince was not alone.

Alarmed, she immediately hid behind the nearest garden wall and peeked around it slowly.

In front of Endymion was a stranger. A woman who looked… otherworldly was the only suitable word to describe her. Her hair was silver like the moon, so long it flowed all the way down to her feet, tied up in two rounded buns atop her head. Her eyes were blue like the night sky and her dress, which seemed thin as a gauze, floated around her as if it had a life of its own. She was breathtaking.

And then Beryl saw the mark of the crescent moon on the woman's forehead, and a shock ran through her. This woman… she wasn't from Earth. She was…

Beryl looked up at the round full moon above, so close tonight that it almost seemed as if it might land on the horizon at any moment.

She saw the woman smile, and then her eyes finally moved toward Endymion.

Her heart ached painfully when she saw his expression. She had never seen that look on the prince's face before. That sense of wonder, the admiration, the way he couldn't look anywhere else except at her. He was completely mesmerized.

Beryl thought Endymion cared about her, but now she realized she was wrong. He was looking at the silver-haired woman the way he had never looked at Beryl.

And just like that, Beryl knew.

He was in love with that woman.

* * *

Beryl did not sleep that night. She cried until she could not anymore, never realizing it was even possible to feel this much pain. Her very being ached as if someone had physically twisted a knife in her core. There was only hurt, and it suffocated her, drowned her, making it hard to breathe.

She told the palace staff that she was not feeling well the next day, and Endymion dutifully visited her after the news reached him. Unable to even look him in the eye, she made vague comments about needing her rest and let him excuse himself. She couldn't even take advantage of his worry, knowing that she was no longer the most important woman in his mind, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Every sweet gesture, every kind word, this promise of marriage… all of that had only been about his duty. He was doing what was asked of him, not what he _wanted_ from his heart.

She didn't know what to do other than hope he would come to his senses and end things with the Lunarian. Not only did earth and moon not have any alliance, but they also weren't supposed to be fraternizing. The earth knew next to nothing about the moon, and that meant those people were untrustworthy. What if this woman was trying to manipulate Endymion? What if she was enchanting him with her magic so that he fell in love with her?

That was it, right? That woman was an enchantress. She must have some kind of plan to destroy Earth, and Endymion was only her pawn.

"Beryl, there is something I must confess to you," Endymion told her one afternoon a couple weeks later.

Beryl's heart immediately started pounding. Was he finally going to admit that he had been having an affair behind her back? She had started spying on him, and he had met the Lunarian woman a couple more times. It was really painful to watch him do all the things he never did with Beryl; hold her hand gently, pulling her close to him, touching her cheek like she was the most delicate and precious flower in the world. The way he gazed at her reverently, like he worshipped her.

All of it made Beryl feel sick.

"Yes, Endymion? What is it?" she asked, pushing through the lump in her throat.

"I… I fear I may have to reconsider our engagement."

And there it was. Something heavy fell and settled deep into her stomach. Despite the fact that she knew what was going on, Beryl was still at a loss for words. She could feel the sudden emptiness inside, as if he had taken all the love she had offered to him and cast it aside carelessly.

"I'm s-sorry?" Her voice shook, and she willed herself not to cry.

"It has nothing to do with you, but I feel terrible. Only… I've finally found love. Real love. I never knew how it felt before… or how amazing it could be. Beryl, this—I can't give up on this. It's too precious and rare. You must understand," he pleaded with her, grasping her hands and looking imploringly into her eyes. Ironically, this was the most intimate thing he had ever done with her.

Tears were clouding her eyes, and she blinked them quickly. "But… what about our parents? The alliance? Endymion, please. You're not thinking straight."

"This feeling is not meant to make sense! It does feel like it's driving me mad, sometimes, but dear God… it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. And I want that for _you_ too, Beryl. Now that I've known how it feels like, I want you to find the person that makes you feel this way too. Neither of us should have to settle for less. A marriage is supposed to be a union of love!"

Did he honestly think he was doing her a favor by breaking off the engagement and setting her free from him? _He_ was the person that made her feel that way. She loved _him_. He was more than enough for her. Why wasn't _she_ enough for him?

"You're bewitched," she whispered, unable to keep the accusation from slipping out.

But he shook his head vehemently. "No! I know it may look like that, because by the gods, she is amazing, and I can't think straight around her, but… She's a kind and gentle woman. And she only wants peace. She is not a bad person, Serenity…"

His gaze turned upward toward the sky, and Beryl shivered. _Serenity_. Was that the woman's name? He hadn't even noticed that he'd let it slip.

"Beryl, I deeply apologize," he turned to her again and squeezed her hands. "But I simply cannot go through with this wedding. It will be a lie. I don't want to promise something I cannot give to you. You deserve a husband who would love you more than anyone else in the world. I will talk to our parents. They will understand. And we will remain friends forever, won't we?"

She didn't know what to say to that. There were only tears, so she simply nodded. Endymion kissed her forehead in a way that now felt like an insult, and left.

And Beryl felt like her entire world had crumbled.

Later, when she started hearing the whispers of an entity she knew could only belong in the darkness, Beryl listened only because she had lost everything.

The creature promised her power. It promised her a way to change her fate, something she desperately wanted.

But in the end, she decided she was doing it for Endymion. Serenity had enchanted him, so Beryl was going to fight magic with magic.

She was going to break the spell Serenity had on him.

She was going to save Endymion.


End file.
